A strong upward trend in international tourist arrivals to Greece by air continued to show in August, according to InSETE’s latest report.
Available data available from all main Greek airports indicated that international arrivals rose in August by five percent compared to the same period in 2014, reaching three million arrivals. Also, during the first eight months of the year, arrivals increased by six percent to a total of 11.7 million.
Athens continued to attract the crowds in August, recorded a 23 percent increase compared to August 2014 and attained a 26 percent rise in arrivals in the first eight months of the year.
Furthermore, almost all Greek destinations exemplified positive figures during the January-August period, except Rhodes (-2% drop in arrivals), Kos (-2%), Heraklion (-2%) and Kalamata (-5%).
The growth in domestic air traffic continued in August, as arrivals increased by 25 percent compared to the same period of 2014, exceeding 800,000. During the first eight months of the year, arrivals rose by 28 percent to a total of 4.6 million.
Arrivals by road accelerate
Tourists who chose to visit Greece via road during the first eight months of 2015 amounted to 8.7 million, showing an increase of 10 percent.
Nevertheless, according to InSETE, the rise in arrivals by road was due to increased travel during the first half of the year, as data showed a significant reduction during July and August.
The principal point of entry which accounted for the biggest percentage of traffic by road to Greece, in comparison to 2014, was the Evzoni border station (FYROM) followed by the Nymfaia border station (Bulgaria).
Sea Arrivals boosted
Domestic ferry travel on routes covering the Northern Aegean and Dodecanese islands showed an increase in passenger traffic during the first eight months of the year — 13.3 percent and 9.9 percent respectively.
Yet, InSETE clarified that the “genuine picture” of the tourist industry during that period of time was “falsified” by the ferry travel of migrants and refugees from Aegean and Dodecanese islands.
Low cost flights
At the same time, arrivals to Crete by ferry dropped by 13.4 percent as holidaymakers elected to travel to the island via the increased flights offered by low cost carriers during the summer.
In general, the Greek domestic ferry market saw a three percent reduction in passenger traffic during the January-August period.
Arrivals to Greece by ferry from Italy decrease by 9.7 percent in August and 9.2 percent during the first eight months of the year.
